Life before ulcerative colitis looked a lot like a postcard. I had a great job that allowed me to work from the road, which in turn gave me the opportunity to pursue my passion for travel. By the time I was 24, I had visited 17 countries and when I found out I was pregnant, it didn’t slow me down a bit. If anything, it gave me a newfound mission to show my child the world.

Immediately after the birth of my daughter, my first symptoms of ulcerative colitis showed up, mostly sharp abdominal pains and nausea, but I just thought they were related to the consequences of labor and childbirth.

Over the next two weeks, my symptoms got worse. I was in the bathroom every few hours, then the bleeding started. The lump in my throat and the whisper in my head kept telling me this may be more than just normal birth recovery, so I went to see a local gastroenterologist.

Hiding From My Autoimmune Disease

When I first got sick, I tried to hide all of my symptoms from my friends and family, which just caused more confusion, anxiety, and pain. I went from an extremely active lifestyle to being practically unable to leave my house.

My GI doctor put me on a laundry list of medications, which were ineffective. After one trip to the doctor for a checkup, I was hospitalized for a week because my body weight was dangerously low and I was losing so much blood that I had become anaemic. They sent me home with steroids, mesalazine, iron tablets, and antibiotics, about 30 tablets a day.

It seemed as though there was a new prescription every few months for years. I rode the ups and downs of prednisone, which only masked the symptoms, then I was put on onmercaptopurine, the side effects of which were horrible. I became very depressed and worried that I wouldn’t even be able to raise my daughter.

A New Doctor & A New Natural Approach

I finally had enough of the roller coaster and switched to a doctor who actually listened to me and treated my particular case, not just the disease. He encouraged me to change my diet and I eventually went to a gluten-free diet. In addition to the dietary changes, he stressed the importance of getting adequate rest and exercise, as well as keeping stress under control.

But, the game changing recommendation my doctor made was to start taking a probiotic with prebiotic to help me begin to heal my gut from the inside. He said that many of his patients had really great success with 1MD’s Complete Probiotic Platinum, so I ordered a bottle as soon as I got home.

I jumped into this new health plan with both feet and I was amazed that when I finally began feeding my body what it needed to heal, actually listening to what my body needs, it began to respond in ways I never thought. Two days after starting the probiotic, my trips to the bathroom were practically cut in half.

After sixty days on these probiotics, my digestion was night and day from what it was before. I didn’t experience any of the symptoms that my body used to show from UC, like severe cramping and bloating, no more fear of not being near a bathroom. I am still on a therapy of azathioprine for my kidney function and escitalopram to help with my anxiety, but I was able to get off of all the other prescription pills and suppositories that had taken over my life.

When I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I thought, it is the worst kind of thief. It breaks into your body and destroys your most cherished possession, your health. For a long time, it stole my confidence and my ability to travel and live a normal life, but now, I’m happy to say that my daughter and I took our very first vacation, 18 long years overdue.

With all the different treatments out there, it's hard to know which one is right for you. The key for me was finding a good doctor that actually listened to me. I don't know where I'd be had he not introduced me 1MD's probiotics, but it would probably involve many trips to the bathroom. Buy them on the 1MD website and get your life back.